Merrill Madness

Knott's and Angel's

2009-04-27T19:35:00.000-07:00

This last weekend we went to Knott's Berry Farm and to an Angel's game...the kids had a blast!!

A long over-due update....

2009-04-27T19:25:00.000-07:00

Well, I know I posted a couple months ago, letting you all know that I am still alive and that I would post soon, but that just didn't happen, but I'm here to say that I am finally going to post some pictures and try to start posting again on a more regular basis....and boy do I have some blog reading to catch up on!!! So here it goes...

Since I haven't posted since Christmas.....Happy New Year, Happy Martin Luther King Day, Happy Valentine's Day, Happy St. Patricks Day, April Fools, Happy Easter, and Happy Birthday to anyone I missed...

These last six months have been some of the hardest of my life! I have done quite a bit of soul searching and have been trying to understand life and all of the challenges that come with it. I have been trying to enjoy my family more and spend less time on things that don't matter in the end. For those of you that know what has gone on, I want to say I appreciate all of the support and kind words. For those of you that don't know all of the details of the last 6 months, well, there is a reason for that and we'll keep it that way. Please don't assume anything because that just makes an ass out of you and me! So I'll leave it at that and hope that I can continue to post pictures and information for all of my readers on a more regular basis and use this blog for what it is intended for!

Thank you...

I'm still alive...barely!

2009-02-03T16:58:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to let everyone know that I am still alive and will try to post some pics from the last couple months soon!

Christmas Festivities!

2008-12-07T20:56:00.000-08:00

We put the lights up on the house really early this year! And Lee braved the heights and climbed up on the roof and put lights on the second story for the first time. It looks so beautiful! Christmas is my very favorite holiday so I love when the whole house is lit up and Christmas music is playing! Enjoy the pictures...

And my favorite part of decorating is putting up my Christmas Story Village! It's the best village ever! You'll shoot your eye out! If you're jealous and want your own, you can only get them at Sears!

Then last night, Lee surprise us and took us to the Palm Springs Christmas Parade! It was a lot of fun! And we got Ruby's for dinner which was the best part!

This was the very best part of the whole parade!! Right at the end just before Santa this Tractor came down the street blasting music! It was HUGE!! The tires were taller than me! And it had more lights on it than the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center! (Not really but it looked like it!)

Lucky Me!!

2008-11-20T09:44:00.001-08:00

OK, so for those of you who know me well, I often (well, maybe more then often!) say that I never win anything!! But it's true! I enter all sorts of contests and giveaways, but never win! But maybe my luck is turning around this year! So I found this blog called Tip Junkie a while back and thought it was really cool! They have all sorts of cool and easy tips for everything! But I noticed (Like 4 days into the giveaway!) that they were doing a 12 days of giveaways contest and I thought "why not?" So I only entered on two of the days because I was working and just didn't get around to entering any other days but I just got an email and I won!! I won this fabulous little tote!! I am so excited I can hardly stand it!! I win a contest and get to see Twilight the Movie...all in one week!! Lucky me!!

'Tis the Season...

2008-11-14T13:02:00.000-08:00

Four sick kids and One sick Mom

One ambulance ride to the hospital

Three days of school missed

Fourteen trips to the bathroom

Thirty-Seven Saltine crackers and Five 2-Liters of 7-Up

Fourty hours of laying in bed

Twenty-three popsicles consumed

Three toilets cleaned Three times each

Two days of work missed (so far!)

One wonderful Husband and Daddy to take care of us all!

12 Days of Junkie

2008-11-14T12:57:00.000-08:00

Go to Tip Junkie to check out their 12 Days of Junkie givaways!!! You could win some really cool stuff and check out all the cool handmade stuff while you're there...they make great Christmas gifts!!

An "Event-Full" Weekend

2008-11-10T20:41:00.000-08:00

We had quite a busy weekend!! First, on Sunday my Step-Dad, Marvin, got married! (Probably sounds wierd to those of you that don't know the story...why would my step-dad get married?? Isn't he already married to my Mom?? Well, he was but they divorced when I was 18 and I have remained very close to him since he never had any kids of his own, and I lived with him and my Mom, I was his only "daughter.") So anyway, he got married to his girlfriend Jan. She is an awsome woman and they are so perfect together. I am very happy for the two of them. Hunter was the Ring Bearer and was very handsome in his Chocolate Brown Tux!! Here are a few pictures from the wedding and reception...

Then after the reception...actually we had to leave early because my Mom and I surprised Lee and the kids and bought tickets to Carrie Underwood!! (I got the tickets a long time ago before the wedding date was set....so luckily it worked out that we could go to both!) The concert was AWSOME!!! It was at the brand new Citizen's Business Bank Arena in Ontario...this was the very first concert there!! So I guess we were part of History!! Little Big Town was her opening act! Seems to me that we got two concerts in one because they are an amazing band!! I have loved Carrie Underwood since American Idol. And the boys used to watch it with me and say that she was their girlfriend! I love that she is still so down to earth and will always remember how lucky she is to be where she is!! And her voice is AMAZING!! So here are some pictures from the concert...

(And just so you know...it was VERY hard to get pictures that didn't blur!!)

When you can live forever, what do you live for?

2008-11-06T20:10:00.000-08:00

You live to see Twilight the movie!! And I got my tickets yesterday!!

Jordyn Has Hair

2008-11-01T15:33:00.000-07:00

Jordyn finally has enough hair to put the little itty-bitty clips in!! There's not much but it's better than nothing!!

Boots!

2008-11-01T15:24:00.000-07:00

I got Jordyn these boots when I was pregnant and they finally fit her!! She loves them and will bring them to me to put them on her all the time! I think she learned this from her friend Porter! Here's some pictures of her pushing her babydoll with her boots on! I love this little girl!

Parties, Pumpkins, and Playing with Friends!

2008-11-01T14:16:00.001-07:00

Well, October has been a very eventful month for our family! First we had the cruise and then all of the Halloween festivities!! Here are some pictures from all the fun...enjoy!

The Zombies!!

Jordyn got her Disney Princesses mixed up...she thinks she's Cinderella!!

The other Zombie! I'm so glad they picked out "cheap" costumes this year!!

Lee took the kids to our Ward Halloween Party...I had to work. The Family above are some of our good friends The Galbraiths....they dressed up as the Wizard of Oz characters, and yes that is their little BOY Porter as Dorothy!! Everybody thought it was funny except Porter!

Our favorite Pumpkin Patch in Yucaipa!!

Pumkin Guts!!

Lee looks a little scary with that big knife!

The Finished Product! I think they turned out pretty good!

Trick-or-Treating! First we went down to Redlands and walked up and down State Street. It's becoming a tradition! Then we came home and went around our neighborhood with out neighbors! The weather was beautiful!! The first year without jackets in a long time!

We met my best friend Katie down in Redlands! Here are her beautiful girls, Lia and Sophie!! Sophie and Jordyn are best friends with a love-hate relationship!! Actually, the hate part is all my daughter's fault...she likes to bite Sophie for no reason! Poor Sophie is such a trooper!

We went to Hot Dog on a Stick for dinner in the Redlands Mall. Jordyn LOVED the Cherry Lemonade and it matched her outfit!!

We had to bribe Jordyn to walk from house to house with candy!!

Earlier this month Katie and I took our girls to Theron's Frozen Custard in Redlands for a Girls Night Out!! We had so much fun and enjoyed eating our chocolate and mint frozen custard!! Yum!! Thanks for a great night, Katie!! And if you've never been to Theron's....I feel sorry for you!

BFF's

Grumpy Lia!

Jordyn decided she would try dirt and see if it tasted better than custard!! I guess the answer was NO!!

Cruise Pictures and update

2008-10-14T12:20:00.000-07:00

Well, I know this update has been a long time coming but we have been extremely busy. We returned from our 7 day Mexican Riviera Cruise on Sunday. We had such a good time relaxing, enjoying the sun, making new friends, and spending time together with no kids! (Even though we missed them all so much!) So be prepared for lots of pictures and a little bit of narrating!

Here I am in our oceanview room!

Leaving San Pedro! Bon Voyage!!

El Capitan!!

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Here are the people we ate with every night....friends for life!!!

Josh and Taryn from Atascadero, CA....on their honeymoon!!

Cody and Aubry from Kearns, UT...Mormons!!

Kirk and Jolene from Alaska but stationed in 29 Palms, CA....he just returned from Iraq!

Nick and Michelle from New Zealand!! They were ending their 3 1/2 month vacation!!

In the "Taxi" in Mazatlan with Kirk and Jolene...crazy drivers in Mexico!!

The Gold Medal winners in "The Quest" Gameshow!! We had a blast...

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

This guy painted these amazing pictures using only his hands...not the finger painting I remember from Kindergarten!! We bought one for my Mom!

Can you see the Alligator??

The Prison...

Lee won an excursion to a Tequila Factory in a raffle!! We were the only people not drinking!

Eating lunch at the "Real Mexican Taco Bell!"

A Church building...we also saw some missionaries!!

They had these huge, amazing sand castles on the beach!

Lee and Kirk climbing the rock wall!!

They had these towel animals in our room every night!! This was the monkey!

Our cruise family and our waiters!! They were the best!!

We can't wait to plan our next cruise!!

A Sad Day...

2008-09-05T08:22:00.000-07:00

Well, I wish I had better news to report, but the following events have consumed our time and thoughts for the past 36 hours...

On Wednesday night my dear husband was teaching his adult Kung Fu class and one of his students, Fred, had a massive heart attack and died....right there in the studio! Lee did CPR for over 10 minutes until AMR arrived and transported him to San Gorgonio but he didn't make it. Lee had to then call Fred's wife and tell her. Fred was only 45 years old and left behind two young boys. My heart goes out to his poor wife who was a stay at home mom. I am so grateful of my profession and the freedom it gives me knowing that if something happened to Lee, I would be ok financially.

Lee has not stopped thinking about it...it's going to take quite a while for him to get past this. I just hope that he doesn't blame himself or feel like he could have done more to save Fred. It was obviously his time, and the Doctor's said there was not much that he could have done to change the outcome.

We are starting a collection from all of the students at Kung Fu to send to his wife and we are also going to host a CPR certification class in his memory at the studio.

Please keep Lee and Fred's family in all of your prayers...

This is a picture of Fred at one of Lee's belt promotion ceremonies...his boys are the bottom right and top left...

Back to School

2008-09-01T10:03:00.000-07:00

The boys all went back to school on Monday! Hunter started Kindergarten, Cameron started 2nd grade, and Austen is in......uh.......uh......I can't bring myself to say it......Jr. High!!! That makes me feel REALLY old!!

It's Puzzling!!

2008-09-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

How cool is this cake!! For Cameron's 7th Birthday he had a game and puzzle party. We had board games out for the kids to play and we played water balloon games in the back yard. We had pizza and salads for dinner. My friend Terri at work has a daughter that is taking cake decorating classes and asked if she could make his cake. I had come up with the idea for a rubix cube cake and I told her she could do whatever she wanted....Well, it turned out amazing!! Thanks Dani!!

This was hilarious!! Austen got hit with a water balloon on the side of his head and it made this perfect splatter design on his hair!! I had to take a picture...

Cameron got a lot of awsome gifts including a ton of art supplies (which he loves!!) and games. My Dad sent us money to buy him a desk (which I will take a picture of when we get it) and my Mom bought him the chair and lamp for the desk. He is in heaven!!

Happy 7th Birthday Cam!!

Preoccupied!!

2008-08-12T13:29:00.000-07:00

Just so you all know....the reason I have been M.I.A. is because I have started ready the Twilight Series. I am currently about halfway through the second book, New Moon. No one should be this obsessed with a book. It is just crazy how good these books are. If you haven't read them yet, well, you should! Let's just leave it at that!!

P.S. I LOVE the Olympics, but since I started reading these books last Thursday, the Olympics are just going to have to wait until I'm done! It's sad....so sad!!

Fish Pedicure??

2008-07-28T22:47:00.000-07:00

Does anybody else find this the least bit repulsive?? The newest beauty secret...a fish pedicure, where small toothless carp nibble the dead skin off your feet!! I find this soooooo wrong in every way and you will never catch me swimming with the fish!

Jordyn Walking

2008-07-28T01:44:00.000-07:00

Here is a short clip of Jordyn walking, that Austen shot! I'll try to get a better one when I feel better!!

My sneaky little girl!

2008-07-28T01:39:00.001-07:00

After breakfast this morning, Jordyn snagged the yogurt off the table and hid behind the couch and fed herself the remaining yogurt!! Sorry these photos are so fuzzy and dark, but Austen took them, and I had to post them!!

Memory Post

2008-07-28T00:43:00.000-07:00

My BFF Kelly posted this on her blog and I loved the idea....so have fun!!

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

My Hubby!

2008-07-24T13:51:00.000-07:00

1. What is his name? Leland Paul....Lee, Babe, Dad
2. Who eats more? Me for sure, especially if I'm pregnant...Lee's always watching his figure!
3. Who said I love you first? Lee...and I didn't say it back!! How horrible is that!! But I wanted to make sure I meant it!
4. Who is taller? Me by 1/2 inch
5. Who is smarter? Me I guess, intellectually, but he is way more street smart and he knows Kung Fu!!
6. Who is more sensitive? Me
7. Who does the laundry? Me
8. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Lee
9. Who pays the bills? Me
10. Who cooks more? It's probably equal since I work a lot...he loves to BBQ
11. What meals do you cook together? Breakfast and BBQ's
12. Who is more stubborn? Me for sure...and I have quite the 'tude!!
13. Who is the first to admit they're wrong? Lee....see #12
14. Who has more siblings? Ah, yeah, he has me on that one 8 to 2!!
15. Who wears the pants in the relationship? We both do....but I'm the only one who wears the dress!!
16. What do you like to do together? Everything, but we each have our hobbies that we do separately
17. Who eats more sweets? Me, see #2
18. Guilty pleasures? Mountain Dew (only on the weekends!), video games, his Kirby vaccum!
19. How did you meet? Glendora church dance....the first church dance I had ever been to. I wasn't a member but my BFF Kelly talked me into going and he was there with his friends. It's kind of a long story (most of you know it) but Lee had known Kelly forever and I had heard all about "The Merrill Boys" all the way through High School. Pretty much all of my HS friends had dated him or wanted to. Kelly introduced us at the end of the dance and I was like "THE Lee Merrill!" Anyway, the rest is history...
20. Who asked who out first? Lee, I guess. After we spent the whole night together talking after the dance he asked me to a BB game the next day
21. Who kissed who first? I planted a big one on him after the dance!!
22. Who proposed? Lee did, but it wasn't much of a traditional or romantic story. We had already had Austen and I think we both had finally decided that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together so we went and picked out a ring together and he proposed at my house. My Mom took pictures but realized after we were all done that there was no film in the camera!!
23. His best features? His hands, his eyes, and everything else!
24. What is his greatest quality? honest, strong, loyal, motivated, great Dad
25. Tag? Kelly, Emily, Charlyn, Stephanie, Annie, Cassie, Jayme, Blaine

A Date in the Desert

2008-07-20T20:36:00.000-07:00

So I kidnapped my husband this weekend and took him to Palm Springs. We started our date shopping at Cabazon for some new shoes for both of us. We then had lunch at Ruby's. Then we headed to Palm Springs to the Aerial Tramway. This is an amazing 10 minute, 2 and 1/2 mile trip from 2,643 feet to 8,516 feet! It's the world's largest rotating tram car and can hold 80 people. During the ride you pass through 5 life zones, from the Mexican Sonoran Desert to an Alpine wilderness. There are only 2 other tram cars like it in the world, one in South Africa and one in Switzerland. It was an amazing adventure and I highly recommend it if you have never been. Here are some pictures from the tram...

We then went to our hotel, the Hyatt Grand Champions Resort and Spa!! What an amazing hotel. It was truly beautiful. Seven pools, including one with a waterslide, too many spas to count, golf, tennis, a spa (which we had a couples massage at!), and many other ammenities!! Here are some photos of the view from out room and our room!

After our massage we went to dinner at Kobe Japanese Steak House. Wonderful!! Lee had a gianormous plate of sushi and I had Teriyaki Chicken and Filet Mignon!! Yum!! Here are some pictures of the fountain and Koi pond outside the restaurant!

We then went back to out hotel and ordered a movie in our room...Baby Mama!! It was hilarious!! We had breakfast brought to our room the next morning and then went to the pool for a couple hours. After we checked out we met Lee's brother Aaron, who lives in Palm Springs, to watch the new Batman Movie. Fabulous!! The best movie I have seen and a long time...well I guess the only movie I have seen in a long time!! Ha Ha!! But seriously it was awsome!! Then we had lunch at Cheesecake Factory and then headed home, where we were greated by our 4 wonderful children who missed us so much and my wonderful mother who was so generous to watch them for us!!

Overall we had a fabulous, wonderful, amazing, awsome, exciting weekend!! And finally here is a picture of my wonderful husband standing next to the Hulk in the theater!

Beautiful Girl!

2008-07-20T19:30:00.000-07:00

Jordyn went to the Doctor for her 12 month visit!! I know, I know. She's 13 months old but I swear they couldn't get her in until now!! Or maybe I procrastinated because I was terrified of her getting shots since she's old enough to give me "the look!" Like "Mom, what did you just let them do to me?" But she did pretty good and the nurse was awsome and got all the shots in in about 2.3 seconds flat!! Then I handed Jordyn a tongue depressor and she forgot all about the shots!! Anyway, she weighs 20 lbs. 2 oz. and is 28 1/2 inches tall...25% for both!! She's still petite!! She's so smart! And boy can she talk...she says Mama, Dad (pronounced Daaaaaaaa!), baby (dede), dog (dogdog) and she barks, more (moooooooo!), thank you, bath, and sit!! Thankfully she hasn't learned No yet!! Or mine!! She finally started walking over the past two weeks. I will try and capture her on video and post it soon!! She still walks with both hands in the air...it's so cute!! And the picture is of her the first time she ever fell asleep in her highchair last week! My boys used to do it all the time and I was just telling Lee how she had never fell asleep in her highchair and she did it like the next night!!

10 Years Ago...

2008-07-18T06:40:00.000-07:00

...I married the man of my dreams!!! Today is our ten year anniversary!! Wow, I can't believe it has been that long! Well, you know what they say, "time flies when you're having fun!" And I have more fun everyday. Lee is my best friend, the love of my life, my prince charming, the father of my children, and everything I could ever ask for in a husband. We have sure had our ups and downs but our marriage gets better everyday! I know I can make it through anything with him by my side. He is the best father in the world and I never have to worry when I go to work if my children are being cared for in the best possible way! He is such a good example to our boys of dedication, respect, responsibilty, love, friendship, hard work, and what a husband should be. He is an awsome example of how a husband should treat his wife. I am so grateful that he is a worthy priesthood holder and such a spiritual role model for our children.

We are going away this weekend to celebrate and relax. I am surprising him so he doesn't know where we are going, but I will post pictures when we return!!

Lee, I can't wait to spend eternity with you!!!

I'm so old

2008-07-17T23:25:00.000-07:00

I didn't get around to posting these pictures last month, but Austen graduated from elementary school last month. I can't believe that I have a son old enough to go to Jr. High!! That makes me feel so old. I swear that I was just in Jr. High School! He is such an amazing kid. He is so smart and has so many talents. He is the best big brother to all of his siblings, especially his little sister. I don't think I would have made it through this last year without his help. And even though it makes me feel old, I can't wait to watch him grow up and turn into a young man. I guess that is not very far away since his feet are already the same size as mine!! I know he will be an amazing father and husband one day because of the great example he has. I hope he chooses to go on a mission and serve his Heavenly Father! Although he has been a challenging child to raise I love him more everyday and look forward to the future and all he has to offer our family!

Brock Walker Murray

2008-06-13T16:42:00.000-07:00

My neighbor and friend Andrea had her baby boy on Tuesday!! He is so cute!!

The Party of all Parties!!

2008-06-13T15:48:00.001-07:00

Jordyn

2008-06-13T15:40:00.000-07:00

Here are some random pictures of Jordyn. She turned the big 1 on June 1st!! I can't believe how fast the past year has gone. She is such a joy to have in our lives and I love how "girly" she is!! She loves her baby dolls, loves to brush the hair she doesn't have, loves to scream and get her way...well you get the idea!! But she is an amazing daughter and I wouldn't want it any other way!

Pool Time

2008-06-13T15:36:00.000-07:00

I got Jordyn this pool at Walmart that's just her size. I figured since she likes her bath so much, she would love this too!! And I was right. I could hardly get her to look at me so I could take her picture!

Austen's Birthday

2008-06-13T15:33:00.000-07:00

Austen turned 11 on May 21st!! He is getting ready to go into Junior High School!! I can't believe it!! It seems like just yesterday that he was born. He got money from Grandma and Grandpa and we got him the "Wave" skateboard. I think he had a pretty good birthday.

Pizza Party

2008-06-13T15:32:00.001-07:00

How to make a Pizza...

Step 1: Start with the dough and smile!

Step 2: Spread on the sauce

Step 3: Add some cheese

Step 4: Then some pepperoni

Step 5: the Final Product!!

Hunter go the go to a local pizza parlor for his end of the year preschool party and the kids go tot bake their own pizzas!! It was really fun and really good pizza!!

Park Day

2008-06-13T15:26:00.000-07:00

We have started walking to the park a lot in the evening. Jordyn loves to be outside. She loves the swing and loves to play on the slides. I can't wait until she starts walking because I think she will enjoy it so much more when she can walk around and climb on things!

Splish, Splash...

2008-06-13T15:23:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted any pictures of Jordyn in the bath in a while. She L-O-V-E-S her bath!! As soon as I say "you want to take a bath?" she starts pointing and screaming.

Ikaika Vea

2008-06-13T15:21:00.001-07:00

That's our new nephew!! My sister-in-law, Cassie, had her baby boy in early May!! He is so adorable and growing so fast already!

Sea World

2008-06-13T15:20:00.000-07:00

I'm seeing squares

2008-06-13T15:19:00.001-07:00

So one of my new obsessions is Quilting!! I made this quilt for my neighbor Gretchen after she had her baby. I'm working on several new quilts right now and I will post pictures of them when I get them done one day...

Update....again!!

2008-06-13T15:17:00.000-07:00

So I think this is becoming a habit of mine...

I wait weeks and then find it overwhelming to post so much of what has gone on over the last few weeks...

Maybe one day I will learn and post in smaller helpings...

So here it goes...

Hypergraphia?

2008-05-31T23:06:00.000-07:00

Self-medication may be the reason the blogosphere has taken off. Scientists (and writers) have long known about the therapeutic benefits of writing about personal experiences, thoughts and feelings. But besides serving as a stress-coping mechanism, expressive writing produces many physiological benefits. Research shows that it improves memory and sleep, boosts immune cell activity and reduces viral load in AIDS patients, and even speeds healing after surgery. A study in the February issue of the Oncologist reports that cancer patients who engaged in expressive writing just before treatment felt markedly better, mentally and physically, as compared with patients who did not.

Scientists now hope to explore the neurological underpinnings at play, especially considering the explosion of blogs. According to Alice Flaherty, a neuroscientist at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital, the placebo theory of suffering is one window through which to view blogging. As social creatures, humans have a range of pain-related behaviors, such as complaining, which acts as a “placebo for getting satisfied,” Flaherty says. Blogging about stressful experiences might work similarly.

Flaherty, who studies conditions such as hypergraphia (an uncontrollable urge to write) and writer’s block, also looks to disease models to explain the drive behind this mode of communication. For example, people with mania often talk too much. “We believe something in the brain’s limbic system is boosting their desire to communicate,” Flaherty explains. Located mainly in the midbrain, the limbic system controls our drives, whether they are related to food, sex, appetite, or problem solving. “You know that drives are involved [in blogging] because a lot of people do it compulsively,” Flaherty notes. Also, blogging might trigger dopamine release, similar to stimulants like music, running and looking at art.

The frontal and temporal lobes, which govern speech—no dedicated writing center is hardwired in the brain—may also figure in. For example, lesions in Wernicke’s area, located in the left temporal lobe, result in excessive speech and loss of language comprehension. People with Wernicke’s aphasia speak in gibberish and often write constantly. In light of these traits, Flaherty speculates that some activity in this area could foster the urge to blog.

Scientists’ understanding about the neurobiology underlying therapeutic writing must remain speculative for now. Attempts to image the brain before and after writing have yielded minimal information because the active regions are located so deep inside. Recent functional magnetic resonance imaging studies have shown that the brain lights up differently before, during and after writing, notes James Pennebaker, a psychologist at the University of Texas at Austin. But Pennebaker and others remain skeptical about the value of such images because they are hard to duplicate and quantify.

Most likely, writing activates a cluster of neurological pathways, and several researchers are committed to uncovering them. At the University of Arizona, psychologist and neuroscientist Richard Lane hopes to make brain-imaging techniques more relevant by using those techniques to study the neuroanatomy of emotions and their expressions. Nancy Morgan, lead author of the Oncologist study, is looking to conduct larger community-based and clinical trials of expressive writing. And Pennebaker is continuing to investigate the link between expressive writing and biological changes, such as improved sleep, that are integral to health. “I think the sleep angle is one of the more promising ones,” he says.

Whatever the underlying causes may be, people coping with cancer diagnoses and other serious conditions are increasingly seeking—and finding—solace in the blogosphere. “Blogging undoubtedly affords similar benefits” to expressive writing, says Morgan, who wants to incorporate writing programs into supportive care for cancer patients.

So it's ok to be addicted?? Right??

Random

2008-05-06T01:21:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in so long I figured that I better post something...

We have been busy with the usual stuff...

Work, kids, kung fu...

And some unusual stuff...

Lee's Dad had a heart attack last Wednesday and went in for Open Heart Surgery/Triple Bypass on Friday. He is doing well and should be going home soon. Lee's two sisters in Utah are coming into town on Friday and will be staying with us. And his sister who lives in Rancho is due any day now with her second child, a boy! So this week should be busy...what's new?

We have an ant problem at our house...any suggestions??

They are all over. Even on my desk, which has nothing but paper and dust on it! I feel like my house is so dirty, even though it's not. I hate bugs, especially ants. So I woke up yesterday from my slumber in the middle of the day with ants on my face!! Yuck! Needless to say I couldn't go back to sleep. What do they want in my bed?? Now the kitchen I guess I can understand if they are going for food, because that's where the food is, but my bedroom!! I guess I'm pretty sweet...

And recently I want to say how thankful I am for the internet...

I don't know what I would do without it...

I pay bills online, I run our business online, I shop for clothes online, I talk to my friends online...

I would buy my groceries online if I could...

Yes, I have checked into it and it is not available in our area yet!

I haven't mailed a bill in I don't know how long!!

I am currently planning Jordyn's 1st Birthday Party....you guessed it....online!!

I am getting invitations, her dress, her shoes, her headband, plates, napkins, etc, etc, etc...

I love the internet!!

And I am also thankful for my wonderful friends...

Charlyn watched my kids at the drop of a hat last week so that Lee and I could go on a date. And Katie watched Jordyn with about 5 minutes notice last week when Lee's Dad had his heart attack! I have the best friends anyone could ever ask for, and I am so appreciative of them and all that they do for me and my family!! Thank you girls!!

Well, that's about it for now. Hopefully I will be able to update more often! But I doubt it!!

I need help!

2008-04-08T22:37:00.000-07:00

84%

2008-04-01T20:29:00.000-07:00

April Fools!!

You are what you eat!

2008-04-01T16:27:00.000-07:00

Look what happens...

2008-04-01T16:24:00.000-07:00

...when Grandma babysits!!

Looks are deceiving...

2008-04-01T16:19:00.000-07:00

Why, you ask, am I taking pictures of my son's feet??

Because these are the socks he was wearing the other day....

And I swear he must have 25 pairs of socks in his drawer that don't have holes in them!!

10 Months Old

2008-04-01T15:43:00.000-07:00

Jordyn is 10 months old today. I can't believe she is going to be 1 soon!! She has made so much progress over the last month. She is pulling herself up on everything and walking holding onto whatever she can get her hands on. She got a new tooth last week and has another one about to pop through. She has a new love in her life...her name is Abby and she is our 6 year old Dog!! She can say Dog and if you ask her "Where's Dog Dog?" she looks out the back door for the Dog and says Dog! She will stand at the back door and kiss the glass when Abby walks by. And when we let Abby in the kitchen she will crawl around after her and keep saying Dog, Dog, Dog!! Abby wants no part of it and tries to stay as far away from her as possible!! It's hilarious! Of course I've been trying to get it on video to post but every time I attempt it, she gets camera shy and won't say a word!! Oh well! She is the best sleeper. She goes to bed around 8 pm and sleeps until at least 8 or 9 in the morning, sometimes 10!! She loves her brothers and when she sees them she says what sounds like "bro" so I think she is trying to say brother!! She will give them kisses whenever they ask and loves for them to play with her. She is starting to eat more table food and like pretty much everything, especially apples and pretzels!! She is truly a joy in our lives and Lee loves her so much that he keeps saying he wants another girl, but we'll see....

Friendship, continued...

2008-03-31T22:51:00.000-07:00

Since my last blog about friendship, I have had an overwhelming response from friends asking how they can help me and letting me know that they are there for me!! I am deeply touched by all your thoughts and offerings! I am especially grateful to my friend Charlyn. After my last blog about friendship she called and said that she had been thinking long and hard about what she could do to help me. So on Saturday she came over for almost 4 hours and helped my clean my kitchen inside and out, up and down, backwards and forewards, and left and right!! And that's not all...she then went home and cooked me and my family dinner!! I enjoyed the conversations we had while we cleaned and learned so much about my newest friend. She is an amazing person who is unselfish in every way. She is a wonderful mother to her son, Bayer, and a thoughful and wonderful wife to her dear husband. She is true to her beliefs about our Savior, Jesus Christ and an inspiration to me. Her testimony about the Gospel is unwavering and I am glad to call her my friend. And just so you know Charlyn, because I know you will be reading this, you are welcome to come over anytime and clean my house!! Thanks for a great afternoon of friendship, conversation, and a clean kitchen!!

Tag I'm It

2008-03-31T22:09:00.000-07:00

Well I was tagged by Charlyn a while ago and then by Jayme with the same tag so I guess I better do it now...

1. 10 years ago:
2. 5 things on my to-do list today:
3. Snacks I enjoy:
4. What I would do if I were suddenly made a billionaire:
5. 5 places I have lived:
6. 5 jobs that I have had:
7. 3 of my BAD habits
8. 5 Random Things people don't know about me:

1. Ten years ago was 1998...I was finishing up my second year of college, Austen was about to turn 1 and I was planning our wedding, which means our 10 year Anniversary is this July and I am so excited, we are going on a cruise to Mexico for 7 days with no kids in October to celebrate!

2. 5 things on my to-do list today:
Well, I will pretend that I wrote this this morning and not at 10 o'clock at night...
1 - Go to the Gym
2 - Laundry (When is it not on my list!)
3 - Stop by Katie's and drop off Cereal for Sophie
4 - Return our Verizon DVR to the UPS Store
5 - Watch the Bachelor

3. Snacks I enjoy:
Well, it's a good thing they didn't limit my number of snacks, because I am a snacker...anything chocolate, especially Reese's Peanut Butter cups, cookies, Hostess Cupcakes, pudding, etc. I also love to snack on fruit like, Raspberries, Blueberries, grapes, strawberries. And I love Naked Juice!! Especially the Red Machine. If you haven't tried it, what are you waiting for? Get Naked!

4. What I would do if I were suddenly made a billionaire:
Quit my job, pay off all my bills and my parents bills, build my dream home on a bunch of land with the ultimate scrapbook/craft room, buy my husband a huge building to teach Kung Fu in, and live happily ever after!

5. 5 places I have lived:
Only 5!! Well, the list goes on and on but here are five,
1 - Oregon
2 - Montana
3 - San Bernardino Mountains, including Lake Arrowhead, Blue Jay, and Running Springs
4 - Indio
5 - Redlands

6. 5 jobs that I have had:
1 - Mother
2 - Nurse
3 - Bagel Girl!
4 - Home Loan Processor/Receptionist
5 - Receptionist at International Skin and Body

7. 3 of my bad habits:
1 - I procrastinate A LOT!!
2 - Even though I stopped biting my nails I still pick at them and my toenails
3 - I stress way too much over everything! I'm sure I have an ulcer already!

8. 5 Random things people don't know about me:
1 - I was born dead! The umbilical cord was wrapped around my neck 3 or 4 times and I wasn't breathing when I came out. The Doctor immediately handed me to my Dad, who was a respiratory therapist, and said "Here, fix her!" He gave me CPR and revived me! My Dad, My Hero!! (The lack of oxygen early in my life probably explains a lot!!)
2 - I wanted to be an Ob/Gyn and started out as a pre-med major in college but got pregnant with my first son and decided I didn't want to be in school that long, so I turned to nursing and can't believe that I ever wanted to be a Doctor!
3 - I have a birth defect. I have three ureters. One on my right kidney and two on my left. The second one on my left kidney is non-functioning, as I found our after going through an aray of tests a couples years ago after chronic bladder and kidney infections.
4 - I share a birthday with my husband.
5 - I am NOT a morning person. I hate to wake up anytime before 8 am, preferrably 9 or 10. I have always loved to sleep since I was born! I would much rather stay up late than get up early.

So there you have it. I hope you enjoyed reading all of this infomation about me. Now I tag Kelly, Katie, Emily, Blaine, and Lora.

Easter

2008-03-31T21:33:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from Easter...

Kathleen

2008-03-28T20:12:00.000-07:00

Kathleen,

Three years ago today you were called home to live again with our Heavenly Father. Although I questioned "Why?", I'm sure that He had plans for you and needed you more than we did. I know that you are looking down on me everyday and everytime I look at my daughter, who is named after you, I see your smiling face and remember all the good times we shared. You were an amazing Mother of six boys, Wife, and Friend. You were truly an inspiration in my life and I miss you more than words can say. I cherish the fact that I know one day that I will see you again. Thank you for being an amazing person.

Love,
Valerie

My Easter Beauty!

2008-03-28T14:19:00.000-07:00

Friendship

2008-03-18T19:05:00.000-07:00

So I'm going to start this post with a run down of my day/night yesterday and then I will get to the point of the post (I promise!)...

Sunday night 11:30 pm - lights off, in bed...

12:00 am - still up...

1:00 am - still up...

2:00 am - still up...

sometime between 2:00 and 3:00 am - asleep...

6:50 am - alarm goes of to get up with the kids for school...

7:10 am - climb out of bed thinking "I should really wake up Lee and make him get up with them" but since I'm already half vertical, I will proceed...

7:50 am - back home...

8:00 am - back in bed, snoring...

8:30 am - Jordyn starts crying, so my wonderful husband gets up, changes her diaper, and brings her in to me for her morning "nummies!"

9:00 am - my wonderful husband takes Jordyn and Hunter downstairs for breakfast and playtime while I fall back into a deep slumber...

12:15 pm - I slowly (and I mean slowly!) crawl out of bed thinking, "I should have stayed up this morning because there are 4, 376, 892 things I need to do"

12:30 pm - drink a Dr. Pepper for breakfast...

12:32 pm - snuggle with my kiddos...

1:00 pm - nurse Jordyn and put her down for a nap (hoping that she will sleep longer than 30 minutes)...

1:15 pm - sort laundry and start laundry...all 12 loads...

1:55 pm - leave to go pick up the boys from school (are they out already??)

2:15 pm - attempt to clean my bedroom while Jordyn is still sleeping although I know in the back of my mind that it is at least a 4 hour job and, lets face it, she is never going to sleep that long!

3:00 pm - Jordyn wakes up (see, I knew it!)

3:05 pm - nurse Jordyn and hand her off to Lee...

4:00 pm - hop in the shower and get ready to head over to the studio...

4:30 pm - leave for the studio...

4:35 pm - arrive at the studio...

5:25 pm - my work calls my cell phone (by the way, I am on call for work tonight!)...

5:26 - 5:40 pm - make several phone calls to make arrangements for a babysitter for the kids until Lee is done...

5:45 pm - leave the studio...

5:50 pm - arrive at home...

5:55 pm - leave kids in the car, run upstairs and fling some scrubs on (hoping they're clean, since I haven't even come close to finishing laundry!), grab my bag and run out the door...

6:15 pm - arrive in Redlands to drop my kids off with Marvin (aka. the babysitter)...

6:40 pm -arrive at work...and spend the next 13 long hours working my butt off, including 2 crash C-Sections!!

8:15 am - leave work...

8:30 am - arrive in Redlands to swap cars with "the babysitter"...

8:45 am - arrive home ready to drop dead...

9:00 am - nurse Jordyn...

9:45 am - passed out in bed...

11:15 am - Lee wakes me up so he can leave for Vegas, and here I sit at 7:30 pm typing this post with an hour and a half of sleep in the last 36 hours (or more, I'm too tired to count!)

And now to the point of this post...

I was blog browsing on Sunday before this all began and I ran along this post by this incredible blogger!

Now, this blogger has over the last couple of years become a good friend to my dear friend Kelly, who I have known since 7th grade and who I used to, and still am proud to, call my best friend!

I couldn't help but think what awsome friends she has up in Oregon. I am so happy that she has friends that treat her so well, since I can't be close enough to. They help her decorate for holidays, clean her house, babysit her kids, take her meals, etc, etc, etc...

And as I was sitting sorting laundry yesterday, or the day before yesterday, I can't remember, I was thinking how awesome it would be to have friends like that. now don't get me wrong, I have some amazing friends, like this blogger, but I just don't see that kind of unselfish service to others down here. And I guess I'm guilty of it myself. We all get caught up in our own little worlds and don't stop to think about what some of our friends are going through or what they might need on any particular day. I guess I was just wishing as I sat sorting laundry that someone would call and say "Can I take your kids today?" or "Can I come over and help you clean your house today?"

So the moral of the story is, let's all try to be a little more unselfish and thoughful of what our friends are in need of!!

P.S. I love you Kelly!! (By the way, for those of you who don't know, Kelly will turn 30 this Thursday! And I can pick on her since I just turned 30 myself!)

Like Mother, Like Son!

2008-03-16T15:24:00.000-07:00

I now know what I put my parents through for the first 18 years of my life! I am the biggest procrastinator of all times and it appears as though my son Austen has inherited that trait! Last week just before parent teacher conferences he infomed me that his science project was due in ONE WEEK!!! I guess I should be happy that he gave me a week and not one night! Anyway, we were both up until midnight the night before it was due but we finished it. That's what happens when you put two procastinators together! He didn't win any prizes, but am I surprised?

The Biggest Update in Blog History!

2008-03-11T12:11:00.000-07:00

OK, so I know my ~~thousands of loyal readers~~ two loyal readers have been wondering where I have been. The simple answer is...nowhere! Well, we have been extremely busy but I have no excuse for not blogging about all of it. So this post is going to be the biggest update/catch up in blog history! I have been blog browsing over the last month and did notice that I am not the only one who has neglected my blog...you know who you are!!

First of all, the biggest project that we have been working on for the last 2 months is this...

Lee outgrew his space at the gym where he was teaching and we made the big leap into an 1800 square foot building which we are proud to call home to Master Lee's Kung Fu San Soo. We officially opened February 11, but had our grand opening on March 1st! It has been a lot of work and stress but I know all of it will pay off in the end. We had 4 new students in the first 2 weeks and 6 already in March! We are located in the largest shopping center currently in Beaumont between a Stater Bros. and Food 4 Less, next to H&R Block, a florist, pizza shop, Hallmark, Optomitrist, and many fast food places. It is very exciting and scary at the same time. Here are some pictures from the Grand Opening (we had about 175 people show up!)

Then the week of Valentine's Day it was 80 degrees on Monday and snowing on Thursday!! Only in Beaumont!! Here are some pictures of the snow.

My husband surprised me with these beautiful flowers for Valentine's Day!! Neither Lee or I are big romantic people so I never expect much and I guess that's why we get along so well. But he always surprises me, and I love him for it!

Then on February 15th, Lee's brother Alma and his wife Angie and our niece Kacayla came into town from Utah to stay with us for a week. We had a blast with them. I had 10 days of vacation from work so I was able to be home the whole time. Lee and Alma and some other guys went to Glamis for the first two days they were here and Angie and I had a blast hanging out with all the kids. We took them to John's Incredible Pizza on Friday night for 4 hours, and spent 7 hours at Ontario Mills Mall on Saturday!! Those poor, poor kids! But they were so good! We went and played some baseball at the park and went to Chili's for dinner...here are some pictures!

Then on Thursday and Friday we went to Disney's California Adventure and Disneyland! We had an awesome time!! Friday was Lee's 31st Birthday and I turned the BIG 3-0!!! Angie made reservations for us at the Blue Bayou, which is restaurant inside Pirate's of the Carribean. We had never eaten there and it was so fun and they have the best food! here are some fun pictures from D-Land...

My friend Katie met us down there with her daughter Lia!!

And our friends Josh and Alicia met us down there with there 4 kiddos!!

And both Hunter and Kacayla got picked to go up on stage for the Jedi training academy! Kacayla was the only girl and she looked hysterical fighting Darth Vadar all decked out in her princess dress!!

Then on Friday February 29th we went down to Pasadena to the Rialto Theater and watched the primier of a movie that Lee helped direct and choreograph!! It was really neat-o!!

Cameron got an award at school for being ~~the best kid in the whole world~~ an awesome student! He never ceases to amaze us! His teacher can't say enough good things about him!

Finally, in the middle of all of this, Jordyn turned 9 months old!! And she said mama for the first time on my Birthday!! What a treat!! I love her more than words can say...

Here she is with her Aunt Cassie at the Grand Opening of the studio!

Well, that's all for now. I will try and update more often, now that all the chaos is over!!

Happy Groundhog Day!

2008-02-02T21:12:00.000-08:00

I had to post this since this is my husbands FAVORITE movie and therefore his favorite holiday! Luckily he only made us watch it once!

One Hundred Random Facts (that you never wanted or needed to know) about me!

2008-02-01T20:35:00.000-08:00

I was going to save this for my 100th post because I thought it would take me that long to write it, but it didn't, so I'm going to post it now and I think for my 100th post I will follow Kelly's example!

1. I was born February 22, 1978

2. In Portland, Oregon

3. I moved to Libby, Montana when I was 5 days old

4. We moved to California when I was 4 (or 5, I don't remember?)

5. My parents got divorced when I was 9

6. I grew up in the San Bernardino Mountains (See #48)

7. I went to Rim of the World High School

8. I played Basketball

9. I'm 6 feet tall and have been since my freshman year

10. Every best friend I've had since 3rd grade has been LDS

11. I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

12. But I wasn't until February 2000

13. I'm married to my best friend

14. We got married on July 18, 1998

15. We were sealed in the San Diego Temple on February 23, 2002

16. We have the same birthday (See #1) except he's one year older ;)

17. We have 4 children (so far)

18. 3 boys and 1 girl (in that order)

19. My daughter is spoiled

20. She has enough clothes to wear a different outfit every day for at least a year (See #43)

21. I love Dr. Pepper

22. My favorite number is 22

23. My favorite color is pink

24. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing (NO, not breastfeeding!)

25. I'm a Labor and Delivery Nurse

26. I love my job

27. I don't like animals, espscially birds and horses

28. I hate seafood

29. But I love to eat

30. California Pizza Kitchen is my favorite restaurant

31. I couldn't live without my TiVO

32. My favorite show is Lost

33. I love to watch Cold Case Files before I go to bed

34. My husband thinks I'm weird

35. I've had braces twice and jaw surgery once

36. My teeth still aren't perfect

37. I have self diagnosed OCD

38. Except you couldn't tell by looking at my house (see #58-61)

39. So maybe that just makes me a perfectionist

40. All of the closets in my house are organized by color

41. Except Jordyn's which is organized by size and type of clothing

42. I do all the bills and budgeting in our house

43. I love to shop

44. We are in debt

45. I'm always cold

46. My nose runs all the time

47. I hate winter

48. I hate the snow

49. I can't wear socks to bed, it irritates me

50. I have my ears pierced multiple times

51. I don't have any tattoos

52. My first real job was at a bagel shop

53. I ate a lot of bagels in 1996

54. I love to read but don't read much anymore

55. Unless I'm reading blogs

56. I'm addicted to blogging

57. I wish I was a better blogger like this girl and this girl

58. I hate to dust

59. I hate to vaccum

60. I hate to clean the bathrooms

61. I hate doing laundry

62. I like to cook

63. I love to bake

64. Christmas is my favorite holiday

65. I love giving gifts more than receiving

66. My daughter is playing with my nose right now (see #46)

67. My favorite teachers in school were Mr. Berg (High School) and Mrs. Mills (Jr. High)

68. I took care of Mrs. Mills' daughter when she was in labor

69. That made me feel old

70. My husband teaches Kung Fu

71. You don't want to meet him in a dark alley

72. I love Target (See #43)

73. I love to scrapbook

74. I don't have a lot of time to scrapbook

75. My favorite candle is Gold Canyon Orange Blossoms

76. I love chocolate

77. Especially chocolate with peanut butter

78. I hate mint

79. Unless it's with chocolate

80. I'm really good at math

81. I have a photographic memory

82. I can remember everyone's phone number and birthday

83. I never remember to send birthday cards

84. I sell Modbe clothing

85. I have a birth defect

86. I bet you want to know what it is!

87. I have arthritis (No, that's not my birth defect!)

88. I played the flute in High School

89. I've been to Europe

90. I want to go back

91. I love getting the mail

92. Even though most of the time it is just bills

93. I have worn glasses or contacts since I was 10

94. I want to get laser eye surgery

95. I drive a Honda Accord and a Chevy Suburban

96. I love leather seats because they heat up (See #45)

97. My favorite flower is the sunflower

98. My bedroom is decorated in sunflowers

99. I thought this would be hard, but it wasn't

100. I think I could write 100 more things pretty easily!!

I hope you enjoyed reading everything that you never wanted or needed to know about me! Please feel free to comment!

8 is Grrrrrrrrrrreat!!

2008-02-01T20:30:00.000-08:00

8 months that is!! Jordyn is 8 months old today!! Wow! She is at such a fun age, crawling, babbling, pulling herself up on things, and starting to wave and give kisses! She loves to kiss her brothers when they go to bed. And her wave is more like an arm outstretched but we're getting there. She started babbling dadadada a couple months ago, and then this month her new word has been babababa, so I'm just waiting for the mamamama!! I still enjoy having a girl so much, although some friends of mine with teenage girls tell me to enjoy her now before she becomes a teenager!! What have I gotten myself into? Or who knows, she may turn out to be the perfect teenager like her Mom? (Right Mom? ) ;)

Left or Right?

2008-01-31T21:14:00.000-08:00

So I have to say first of all, my daughter is back to her normal sleeping-eating-pooping-nursing-playing-singing "babababa" self. After being sick since Sunday, with a trip to the ER on Monday, she is finally back to herself and went to sleep tonight without screaming and fighting! All except for the fuss she put up when I went to nurse her in the rocking chair!! She told me in no uncertain terms that she did not want to nurse on the right "side" (I don't want to say the "B" word for fear of my blog rating going to the X rating!) She screamed bloody murder until I gave her the left side and then she was out!! She's not stubborn or anything? And I know what your thinking....why aren't you watching Lost?? I'm just letting my TiVO record for a while so I can skip through commercials because I think it would kill me to sit through 5 minutes of commercial's every 10 minutes!!

Get Lost

2008-01-31T19:50:00.001-08:00

Are you as excited as I am?? Only 1 hour and 10 minutes to go...

Please be advised!

2008-01-28T23:03:00.000-08:00

All because I used the word torture 3 times (I don't even remember using this word!), suck twice and poop once! Sorry if my blog offends anyone!

Gordon B. Hinckley

2008-01-28T08:16:00.000-08:00

June 23, 1910 - January 27, 2008

"The time has come for us to stand a little taller, to lift our eyes and stretch our minds to a greater comprehension and understanding of the grand millennial mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

This is a time to be strong.

It is a time to move forward without hesitation, knowing well the meaning, the breadth and the importance of our mission.

It is a time to do what is right regardless of the consequences that might follow.

It is a time to be found keeping the commandments.

It is a season to reach out with kindness and love to those in distress and to those who are wandering in darkness and pain.

It is a time to be considerate and good, decent and courteous toward one another in all our relationships. In other words, to become more Christlike."

She's on the move!!

2008-01-23T21:08:00.000-08:00

Jordyn started crawling a couple of weeks ago but I haven't been able to catch her on the camera because every time I point it at her she stops!

And now she is pulling herself up on things and standing!!

Look what I did Mom!!

And of course she still chews and sucks on EVERYTHING and has 4 teeth now!!

Funny things kids say....

2008-01-23T19:47:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd post a couple funny things that the kids have said lately....

Hunter...

1) While playing guitar hero, Hunter's favorite song is "Cheese Pie, Cherry Pie" or in english "(She's my) Cherry Pie!"

2) Today while eating lunch at Hogi Yogi he recalled going to a restaurant with Jan, Marvin's fiance, while Marvin was in a "Medium" or in english "Meeting!"

3) He's been kind of fascinated with death lately and he kept asking me if God would let you come back? I didn't understand until I overheard him telling Cameron that "Yes, after you die God will let you come back and visit!"

Cameron...

1) As I was combing his hair for school yesterday I asked him "How'd you get so handsome?" and he replied "from Daddy!"

2) Cameron brought home a recipe for Strawberry Shortcake from school last week and told me "this better be made when I get home!"

Austen...

1) Asked me where the bank of the city was because there was a girl in his class that took dance lessons across from "City Bank" or "Citibank!"

Extreme Makeover: Blog Edition

2008-01-21T20:14:00.000-08:00

Hope you all like the new look....it took me FOREVER!! I'm still pretty computer illiterate as far as the technical stuff goes but I'm getting better and I can figure most of it out if you give me enough time!!

Martha Stewart or Valerie Merrill??

2008-01-18T21:03:00.000-08:00

Daddy's Rules for Dating my Daughter

2008-01-18T11:37:00.000-08:00

Rule One:
If you pull into my driveway and honk you'd better be delivering a package, because you're sure not picking anything up.

Rule Two:
You do not touch my daughter in front of me. You may glance at her, so long as you do not peer at anything below her neck. If you cannot keep your eyes or hands off of my daughter's body, I will remove them.

Rule Three:
I am aware that it is considered fashionable for boys of your age to wear their trousers so loosely that they appear to be falling off their hips. Please don't take this as an insult, but you and all of your friends are complete idiots. Still, I want to be fair and open minded about this issue, so I propose this compromise: You may come to the door with your underwear showing and your pants ten sizes too big, and I will not object. However, in order to ensure that your clothes do no, in fact come off during the course of your date with my daughter, I will take my electric nail gun and fasten your trousers securely in place to your waist.

Rule Four:
I'm sure you've been told that in today's world, sex without utilizing a "Barrier method" of some kind can kill you. Let me elaborate, when it comes to sex, I am the barrier, and I will kill you.

Rule Five:
It is usually understood that in order for us to get to know each other, we should talk about sports, politics, and other issues of the day. Please do not do this. The only information I require from you is an indication of when you expect to have my daughter safely back at my house, and the only word I need from you on this subject is: "early."

Rule Six:
I have no doubt you are a popular fellow, with many opportunities to date other girls. This is fine with me as long as it is okay with my daughter. Otherwise, once you have gone out with my little girl, you will continue to date no one but her until she is finished with you. If you make her cry, I will make you cry.

Rule Seven:
As you stand in my front hallway, waiting for my daughter to appear, and more than an hour goes by, do not sigh and fidget. If you want to be on time for the movie, you should not be dating. My daughter is putting on her makeup, a process than can take longer than painting the Golden Gate Bridge. Instead of just standing there, why don't you do something useful, like changing the oil in my car?

Rule Eight:
The following places are not appropriate for a date with my daughter: Places where there are beds, sofas, or anything softer than a wooden stool. Places where there is darkness. Places where there is dancing, holding hands, or happiness. Places where the ambient temperature is warm enough to induce my daughter to wear shorts, tank tops, midriff T-shirts, or anything other than overalls, a sweater, and a goose down parka - zipped up to her throat. Movies with a strong romantic or sexual theme are to be avoided; movies which features chain saws are okay. Hockey games are okay. Old folks homes are better.

Rule Nine:
Do not lie to me. I may appear to be a potbellied, balding, middle-aged, dimwitted has-been. But on issues relating to my daughter, I am the all-knowing, merciless god of your universe. If I ask you where you are going and with whom, you have one chance to tell me the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I have a shotgun, a shovel, and five acres behind the house. Do not trifle with me.

Rule Ten:
Be afraid. Be very afraid. It takes very little for me to mistake the sound of your car in the driveway for a chopper coming in over a rice paddy near Hanoi. When my Agent Orange starts acting up, the voices in my head frequently tell me to clean the guns as I wait for you to bring my daughter home. As soon as you pull into the driveway you should exit the car with both hands in plain sight. Speak the perimeter password, announce in a clear voice that you have brought my daughter home safely and early, then return to your car - there is no need for you to come inside. The camouflaged face at the window is mine.

But, before you even think of dating my daughter, you'll have to fill out the Application for Permission to Date my Daughter.

NOTE: This application will be incomplete and rejected unless accompanied by a complete financial statement, job history, lineage,and current medical report from your doctor.
NAME_____________________________________
DATE OF BIRTH_____________
HEIGHT___________
WEIGHT____________
IQ__________
GPA_____________
SOCIAL SECURITY #_________________
DRIVERS LICENSE #________________
BOY SCOUT RANK AND BADGES______________________________________
HOME ADDRESS_______________________
CITY/STATE___________ ZIP______
Do you have parents? ___Yes ___No
Is one male and the other female? ___Yes ___No
If No, explain: ________________________________________________
Number of years they have been married ______________________________
If less than your age, explain _______________________________________

ACCESSORIES SECTION:
A. Do you own or have access to a van? __Yes __No
B. A truck with oversized tires? __Yes __No
C. A waterbed? __Yes __No
D. A pickup with a mattress in the back? __Yes __No
E. A tattoo? __Yes __No
F. Do you have an earring, nose ring, pierced tongue, pierced cheek or a belly button ring?
__Yes __No

(IF YOU ANSWERED "YES" TO ANY OF THE ABOVE, DISCONTINUE APPLICATION AND LEAVE PREMISES IMMEDIATELY. I SUGGEST RUNNING.)

ESSAY SECTION:
In 50 words or less, what does "LATE" mean to you? ______________________________________________
In 50 words or less, what does "DON'T TOUCH MY DAUGHTER" mean to you? ______________________________________________
In 50 words or less, what does "ABSTINENCE" mean to you? ______________________________________________

REFERENCES SECTION:
Church you attend ________________________________
How often you attend ______________________________
When would be the best time to interview your:
father? _____________
mother? _____________
pastor? _____________

SHORT-ANSWER SECTION: Answer by filling in the blank. Please answer freely, all answers are confidential.
A: If I were shot, the last place I would want shot would be: ___________________________________________
B: If I were beaten, the last bone I would want broken is my: ___________________________________________
C: A woman's place is in the: _______________________
D: The one thing I hope this application does not ask me about is: ___________________________________________
E. What do you want to do IF you grow up? ___________________________________________
F. When I meet a girl, the thing I always notice about her first is: ___________________________________________
G. What is the current going rate of a hotel room? ___________________________

I SWEAR THAT ALL INFORMATION SUPPLIED ABOVE IS TRUE AND CORRECT TOTHE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE UNDER PENALTY OF DEATH, DISMEMBERMENT,NATIVE AMERICAN ANT TORTURE, CRUCIFIXION, ELECTROCUTION, CHINESEWATER TORTURE, RED HOT POKERS, AND HILLARY CLINTON KISS TORTURE.
_______________________________
Applicant's Signature (that means sign your name, moron!)
_______________________________
Mother's Signature
_______________________________
Father's Signature
_______________________________
Pastor/Priest/Rabbi
_______________________________
State Representative/Congressman

Thank you for your interest, and it had better be genuine andnon-sexual. Please allow four to six years for processing. You will be contacted in writing if you are approved. Please donot try to call or write (since you probably can't, and it wouldcause you injury). If your application is rejected, you will benotified by two gentleman wearing white ties carrying violin cases.(you might watch your back)

Tag I'm it!

2008-01-13T00:30:00.000-08:00

I have been tagged by Jayme...a long time ago! Sorry Jayme! December was crazy, but now I can actually sit down and do this! The rules are to list 6 little known things, obsessions, or quirks about yourself and then tag someone else to do the same. Here it goes!

1. I am ~~a little bit~~ anal retentive, maybe borderline OCD! I don't let my kids clean their own rooms. Not because I don't want them to learn responsibility but because I'm not happy with the results unless I do it myself. If I'm charting on a patient at work and I make a mistake, I start all over! Because I can't stand the way it looks to cross something out. Now, most people would say that is just making more work for myself, but I can't help it. And I make Microsoft Excel spreadsheets for EVERYTHING!!! My bills, addresses, cleaning schedules, dinner calendars, etc. If you can think it, I can chart it!!!

2. I don't wear make-up. Never have, never will. I think sometimes my husband would like me to on occasion but it's just too much work. And I always end up rubbing at my eyes and getting make-up in my contacts. Plus, I have great skin (I'm not trying to toot my own horn, but...) and I hate to wash my face unless I'm in the shower, so I always end up going to bed with make-up on and getting pimples! Why ruin a good thing?

3. I hate gum! I think it's been maybe 20 years or more since I chewed gum. I think it is so disgusting! It's just plain unsanitary. The thought of it gives me the chills so I will just leave it at that!

4. And I can't talk about my dislike of gum without mentioning that I hate mint or anything relating to mint or minty items! The smell makes me nauseated. It's all I can do to just brush my teeth! ~~So most of the time I don't!~~ And when I'm pregnant, well, we won't even go there!

5. I've never seen ET, or many other classic movies from my childhood era as a matter of fact. I saw the Star Wars movies for the first time only after I met Lee. And only because he told me he wouldn't marry me unless I did!

6. I have not bit me nails in two years! This was a horrible habit of mine for 27 years until I finally made the decision 2 years ago as a New Years Resolution to stop. I came to the realization that I wouldn't be able to stop until I was truly ready and I finally got sick of looking a my stubby nails! I just showed me that I can do anything if I put my mind to it. My nails are still weak and break and peel a lot but I don't bite them!

I hope you all enjoy ~~making fun of me~~ learning about my quirks! So please share yours! I tag Katie, Kelly, Blaine, Aly, and Emily! Have fun!

7 months

2008-01-01T07:59:00.000-08:00

Jordyn is 7 months old today! She is starting to scoot and crawl, and is sitting up on her own very well now. It's nice to be able to put her in the shopping cart now and not have to carry her car seat around. She loves to eat and still loves to nurse! She is still very petite for her age but I love it. She is a wonderful baby and sleeps 12-16 hours every night! I don't think I could ask for a more perfect daughter!

My Baby Boy turns 5!

2008-01-01T07:54:00.000-08:00

Hunter turned 5 on New Years Eve! My baby boy is growing up so fast! We had told him that he would start Kindergarten as soon as he turned 5. Well, as soon as his birthday came he wanted to know what time he started school and if Mrs. Odenbaugh (Cameron's K teacher) was going to be his teacher. I had to explain to him that he had to wait until the next school year started. He wasn't very happy! I had to work New Years Eve and New Years Day but I stayed up late so he could open presents and we had cake when I woke up. He said he had the best birthday ever. He got Heely's, Power Ranger Toys, Guitar Hero (which we are all addicted to!), a game for the Wii, and a skateboard.

Christmas Cookies...

2007-12-26T22:26:00.000-08:00

...after Christmas!

Mmmmmm good!

These are a few of my favorite things!

2007-12-25T23:40:00.000-08:00

Santa was good to me!

Christmas

2007-12-25T22:15:00.000-08:00

Cookies and Milk for Santa

2007-12-24T22:11:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve

2007-12-24T22:06:00.000-08:00

The kids opened their new PJ's on Christmas Eve! It's was quite the photo shoot as you can see...

Hunter's Preschool Christmas Program

2007-12-20T21:58:00.000-08:00

Hunter and the kids in his preschool went to a local retirement home and sang to the residents! They also made them Christmas cards! It was too cute!

All I want for Christmas...

2007-12-19T17:27:00.000-08:00

...is my second front tooth! Jordyn got her first tooth today! It's still too small to get a picture of it but I will post one as soon as you can see it in pictures!

Before and After....and After!!

2007-12-18T13:07:00.000-08:00

I took Jordyn on Thursday to get her ears pierced at my Ob/Gyn office. My wonderful Doctor, Dr. Daniels, offered to do it months ago. I was a little hesitant because I didn't want her to have to go through any pain if it wasn't necessary, but I really wanted her to have them done at a young age so she wouldn't remember it. So I totally prepared myself when she was 2 months old and then my dear husband put an end to that. He didn't want her to have them done yet because he wanted his baby to stay young as long as possible and earrings would make her look older. So I ~~through a fit~~ respected his wishes and didn't get them done. But I told him that I wanted to get them done by 6 months. Well, her 4 month appointment came and went with no earrings. Then I had an appointment scheduled for Thursday and I finally talked him into it the night before! Then I made the mistake of asking him to go with me because I wanted someone to take pictures. Jordyn screamed, but only because I had to hold her head still. But I obviously felt bad for her and didn't hold her head as still as I should have and she moved a little during the piercings. So the holes ended up in two different spots and I didn't like them. So my Doctor said (and I quote) "If we take one out and redo it now, it will heal quickly and you will never see the other hole." Well, thoughts flashed through my mind of being on the front page of the Friday paper, with headlines reading "Local man kills well known Ob/Gyn!" I thought Lee was going to kill her when she said that. But I told him that I wanted them to match and it would be better to just redo one of them now. So we took out the right one and did it again! This time it ended up perfect! Except the left one still didn't match! But I wasn't about to redo it and Lee said they looked fine. All day I kept looking at the left earring and it was making me sick to my stomach because it was too high up on her ear. Lee asked me if I was going to get it done again, and I said yes. He said that he could tell it was bugging me. So I decided to do it this last Monday at the mall (because my Docor felt so bad that I could take her back there!) but I had decided that I wasn't going to tell Lee because I didn't want him to feel bad for Jordyn. So I got the left one done again at Claire's on Monday and they are perfeect now and she has cute little pink earrings! Lee was ok with it and told me that he should have let me get them done when she was younger so she wouldn't have moved so much!!

The moral of the story: If you want to get your daughter's ears pierced, get them done early! ~~And always listen to your wife!~~

She doesn't know what's coming....so happy and content!

X marks the spot....

She's very mad that I'm holding her head...

....and that's the worst part!

All done! (or so we thought!)

Please don't hold me down...again!!

Happy at home with Daddy! (Except her earrings don't match!)

And the final pose! (I promise we're all done now!)

So pretty!

...and the beauty is she'll never remember...

Promotions

2007-12-17T13:28:00.000-08:00

Lee had his second promotion ceremony on Saturday. Cameron finally got his Yellow belt. He was so excited! He has been working really hard lately and it was well deserved! And Lee got an early Christmas present from a family of four that was been taking his classes now for 10 months, the Allen's...a limited edition Kung Fu San Soo patch collection. He was beyond excited!

Snow Bunnies!

2007-12-15T13:06:00.000-08:00

Aren't We Cute!

Hunter had to have "the boys" picture since Mommy and Jordyn had "the girls" picture!

Christmas Lights

2007-12-14T12:59:00.000-08:00

My poor husband put up all the Christmas Lights outside just to discover that many sections of the icicle lights didn't work. So I tried changing the fuses. Then I tried changing the bulbs. But nothing worked! So I finally decided that I would just go buy new ones since they are only $5 at Walmart! So then I made my poor husband take down all the lights and put up all the new lights. Plus we got some new decorations and lights and I made him put those up as well. The end result is a beautiful holiday house that I am soooooo happy about! (Even though we are the only people on our cul-de-sac with lights up!)

Christmas Pictures

2007-12-13T16:44:00.000-08:00

An update to the update!

2007-12-13T16:39:00.000-08:00

Sorry, I forgot to mention that we just found out that Lee's sister Annie and her husband, Andy, will be moving to Virginia in about six months because he was accepted to dental school there!! We are so excited for them, but will miss them!!

P.S. Sorry the video has no sound...I don't know what is wrong but I am working on it!

Da Da Da Da Da!

2007-12-13T07:39:00.000-08:00

Welcome

2007-12-12T19:35:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to welcome my friend Emily to the Wonderful World of Blogging!! Emily's husband Tim and my husband Lee have known each other since they were kids, and we kinda have matching family's...three boys and a girl!! I'm so excited that I have ~~coerced~~ inspired another friend to become ~~addicted~~ a blogger! Welcome Emily and I look forward to reading your blog ~~at all hours of the night~~.

Updates

2007-12-11T22:13:00.000-08:00

I guess as soon as December hits, our life seems to turn into organized chaos!! So I haven't posted for a while. Not that I haven't been meaning to. I really have wanted to, but just lacked the time or energy, or I forced myself to do something more productive, like laundry, instead! So here is an update of the last 2 weeks and I will try to post pictures tomorrow since I am going to get the kids Christmas pictures done.

~Jordyn turned 6 months old on December 1st! Wow, a half a year already! She is getting so ~~big~~ ~~fat~~ ~~chubby~~ vocal! She is still a very petite little girl but I kinda like it after having such hefty boys. She has officially discovered her voice and loves to talk. She's such a girl already! I took her to the Doctor today and she weighs 15 pounds and is 26 inches long! She got four shots including the flu shot and wasn't very happy about it, but luckily she is all done until 1 year!!

~We had Cameron and Austen's parent teacher conferences the last week of November and I'm happy to say that both of them are doing great! Cameron's teacher actually cried when she told how wonderful our child was!! He has been the star of his class in both Kindergarten and 1st grade and I'm sure it will continue through 2nd grade and beyond. He is such a good kid and just loves to please everyone. Austen has made so much improvement since last year. I told his teacher that I have wanted to pull my hair out every year until this year, so the fact that I have hair says she is doing a good job!! He really likes his teacher and they have a special connection that really makes him stay focused and try harder.

~My dear friend Kelly's father passed away from brain cancer on November 30th and we had the opportunity to go to his funeral on Friday December 7th. He was an incredible man and touched the lives of so many. There was standing room only at the funeral. John was like a father to me growing up since Kelly and I were best friends all the way through Junior High and High School. Along with my parents, Kelly's parents saw me through my "wonderful" teenage years!! Kelly and I have been friends since 7th grade and even though we are thousands of miles apart now, we will always be close at heart. I will miss seeing John's smiling face and hearing his wonderful sense of humor!

~~~Lee and I~~ I got all of our Christmas shopping done!! I'm so ahead of schedule this year. I normally wait until the very last minute but not this year. I decided to surprise myself and get it all done early. Oh well, I'm sure I'll find more things to procrastinate on...like bills, or cleaning!! I'm kinda bummed because I have to work Chrismas Eve, then I was on call on Christmas night but one of the nurses that was supposed to work Christmas night (my dear friend Carol) found out she has uterine cancer and will be off, so I am working Christmas night too. Then I also work New Years Eve and New Years night!! I try to look at the bright side....$$$$$$!! (To pay for all the Christmas presents!)

~I am trying to plan a cruise for next fall for Lee and my 10th anniversary!! Our anniversary is actually in July but I wanted to wait until Jordyn is a little older before I leave her for a week with my Mom! (Hey Mom, will you watch the kids??) Kidding.... Anyway, I'm thinking the Mexican Riviera so we don't have to fly anywhere. But if anyone has a suggestion for out first cruise, please tell....

~We just found out yesterday that my sister-in-law, Cassie, who is expecting a baby in June is having a boy!! She has a 2 1/2 year old girl, Kalina, so I am so excited for her to experience the world of little boys!! Good luck girl, 'cause your gonna need it!

Well, I think that is all for now. I will post a crapload of pictures tommorrow when I am actually sitting at my desk typing instead of in my warm bed and after I take the kids for their pictures! I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season and I look forward to posting Christmas pictures and all of the fun activities to come this month!!

Santa's Helper

2007-11-27T21:53:00.001-08:00

Jingle Baby!

2007-11-27T21:43:00.000-08:00

Getting Ready for the Holidays!

2007-11-27T20:37:00.000-08:00

As we got our Christmas Tree out (yes, we have a fake tree!) and decorated it, and went shopping today for Christmas presents, I had to stop and think about how thankful I am to live in a free country where we can celebrate however we choose, and how thankful I am to have a good job so we can afford toys for our kids and a nice home to celebrate in. I also bought the new Josh Groban Christmas CD (thanks for the recommendation, Katie!) and as I listened to the words from the song, Thankful, they kinda summed it all up:

Thankful

Some days, we forget to look around us,

Some days, we can't see the joy that surrounds us,

so caught up inside ourselves,

we take when we should give,

so for tonight we pray for,

what we know can be,

and on this day we hope for,

what we still can't see,

It's up to us, to be the change,

and even though we all can still do more,

there's so much to be thankful for,

look beyond ourselves,

there's so much sorrow,

it's way to late to say,

I'll cry tomorrow

each of us must find our truth,

it's so long overdue,

so for tonight we pray for,

what we know can be,

and everyday, we hope for,

what we still can't see,

it's up to us, to be the change,

and even though we all can still do more,

there's so much to be thankful for,

even with our differences,

there is a place WE'RE all connected,

each of us can find each others light,

So for tonight, we pray for,

what we know can be,

and on this day, we hope for,

what we still can't see,

it's up to us, to be the change,

and even though this world NEEDS so much more

there's so much to be thankful for.

Thanksgiving

2007-11-25T20:14:00.000-08:00

We went up to my Dad's house in Central/Northern California for Thanksgiving. We hadn't been up there in some time so it was nice to go back. My step-mother Karen hadn't seen Jordyn since she was born, so that was fun for her. We had an excellent Turkey on Thanksgiving with all the fixin's and then on Friday we went bowling. My sister, Shelley, and her husband, Chris, came down from Lake Tahoe and my brother, Scott, was there from Pheonix. The kids had a blast trying to beat Grandpa. We came home on Saturday and beat most of the traffic. We had a great time!

You see where Jordyn gets her hairstyle from!

HTML what???

2007-11-25T15:26:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my wonderful, creative, incredibly talented brother Scott, I now have a new Christmas background!! I'm working on a new header, but it might take me a while. This weekend he showed me how to edit the HTML code to make a custom background, so look for new backgrounds every season!! This is going to be fun!!

Mommy and Me!

2007-11-15T18:50:00.000-08:00

Thank You...

2007-11-12T19:52:00.000-08:00

...to all the men and women in our military and armed forces, past and present, who's sacrifice ensures our freedom. I am grateful to all of you, especially my Dad who served his country in Vietnam. Happy Veterans Day!

'Tis the Season...

2007-11-12T17:12:00.000-08:00

...For Glamis!!!

Things I'm Grateful for as a Mother!

2007-11-06T14:22:00.000-08:00

I'm grateful my children demand I talk to them when I don't feel like talking, feed them when I'm not hungry, and change their diapers even when I'm all dressed up and ready to go somewhere special. I don't think I'd discover the world outside my own needs without them.

I'm grateful my children haven't learned how to hold back their tears when they're sad, laughter when they're happy, or screams when they're frightened. They constantly remind me that emotions are for sharing.

I'm grateful my children have broken nearly everything in my home and used a crayon or ink marker on the rest. They've taught me that things aren't important, but people are.

I'm grateful my children start out small and helpless so they won't become aware of my incompetence until they're teenagers. By then, we'll both have grown so accustomed to each other, we'll somehow manage to make it through the rest of life together.

I'm grateful my children get their pants dirty, pick their noses, burp without saying "excuse me," and quarrel in public so I'll never be able to get too arrogant, proper, or judgmental of other people's children.

I'm grateful my children sometimes call me names like "weird" because sometimes I am "weird," and it helps keep a person humble to be told they're "weird" when they're acting weird.

I'm grateful my children always need new shoes, clothes, haircuts, prescriptions, fieldtrip money, food, toothpaste, and underwear. That way, I don't have to waste my time thinking about a new sofa. It's difficult to get wealthy and think about luxuries when you have to buy toilet paper and milk by the truckload each week.

I'm grateful my children know how to play and want me to play with them. My children will only be small for a short period of time and therefore the house will just have to wait to be cleaned.

I'm grateful my children insist I hug, kiss, rock, or put my arms around them often. Otherwise, I think I'd forget how the sense of touch is so healing.

I'm grateful each of my children is unique when the same strange, inexperienced mother raised them. Somehow they don't seem to let me ruin them much.

I'm grateful that God has given me the opportunity and patience to have my children and may one day allow me to have more children.

And lastly, I'm grateful for the gift of my children in my life. God willing, I'd like to fill the rest of my days with those interesting people who call me Mom (yes, and sometimes "weird") but eventually "weird grandma."

*Adapted from an article in LDS Living Magazine

Cameron

2007-11-02T16:08:00.000-07:00

This post is all about Cameron. My sweet, innocent, loving, compassionate, shy, considerate son! He is such a good kid. Not that my other boys aren't good kids, but Cameron is SUCH a good kid! He genuinely cares about other people and how they feel and is so concerned about others feelings and consequences of his actions on other people. But he oftened doesn't speak up for himself because he is shy and reserved. So, the story I am about to tell is kind of out of character for him, at least partly. Yesterday he was at school and at recess and he had to use the restroom. So he went into the boys bathroom and found that two boys were picking on a kid from his class. This is how it went:

Cameron "Hey, what are you doing?"

One of the boys replied "None of your business!" (I still can't beleive these are 1st graders!)

Cameron "Stop doing that!"

Boys "Why should we?"

Cameron (Flexing his arm muscles!) "You wanna feel these?!?! I'm tough!"

Boys (feeling Cameron's muscles!) "NO!"

And the boys ran out of the bathroom!

Then Cameron took the boy to the nurses office! Is he the best kid or what?

I'm 5 months old!!

2007-11-01T13:54:00.000-07:00

Jordyn is 5 months old today!! She is growing up so fast! (Do I say that every month?) I love her so much and can't imagine life without her. I love the way her face lights up everytime she sees her Daddy or one of her brothers! As for me, I'm only good for one thing right now... And I can't wait for the day that I will be able to post about her growing some hair!! She is her mother's daughter! (Right, Mom!)

Halloween

2007-10-31T23:01:00.000-07:00

For Halloween this year Austen was a Gothic Vampire, Cameron was a Special Forces Officer, Hunter was the Black Spiderman and Jordyn was a piggy!! We went down to State Street in Redlands and went trick-or-treating with some friends. Then we went to the Gourmet Pizza Shoppe for dinner and finally we came back home and went trick-or-treating around our neighborhood. Good times!

Carving Pumpkins

2007-10-31T11:38:00.000-07:00

Hunter's Charlie Brown Pumpkin!

Austen's Skull Pumpkin!

Cameron's Jack-O-Lantern!

Happy Birthday Mom!

2007-10-29T07:47:00.000-07:00

Today is my Mom's 39th birthday!! ;) I have the greatest Mom in the whole world. She is so generous and loving. She is the best grandma ever and I don't know what I would do without her. I want her to know how much I love and appreciate her. Happy Birthday Mom!

Halloween Parties

2007-10-28T09:27:00.000-07:00

Saturday we went to two Halloween Parties! First to a Birthday party for our friend's son Nicolas, which was Halloween themed. Chrissy is always so creative and has the best parties! From her invitations to her decorations, she is just so creative and I am so glad that she taught me how to scrapbook when we used to be neighbors in Redlands, because my scrapbooks would have never been so cute without her input! And I try so hard to do cute invitations like her! The boys had a great time and Jordyn had a great time trying to get the marshmellow off the string! Then we went to our Ward Halloween Party. What a full day of Halloween Fun!